Flea Market Magic (Southern Relics Cozy Mysteries Book 1) Read online

  “Is that right?” he asked, switching his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. “And who told you that?”

  Swallowing my fear and ignoring the urge to throw up, I gambled with the one card I held. “Croy Miller.”

  Longbeard, or Dusty as the man in front of me called him, whistled. “Girl, you just said the wrong thing. Shoulda stuck with me. Spike’s gonna kill you now, so bye-bye.”

  “Not before I find out how she knows that scumbag and why she’s really here, Miss…” When I didn’t reply, he spit out his toothpick onto the floor. “See, this is where you tell me your name.”

  My mind was stuck on the word kill , and it took me a second to fulfill his request. “Uh, my name. It’s Ru…th. Ruth Ann.”

  A strange glint in his eyes worried me until he spoke. “My sister’s name is Ruth. She’s named after my mother’s aunt who raised her.”

  “Hey, how come you never told us that before,” Dusty complained, spilling beer down his beard.

  Spike pointed his finger between his bearded friend and me. “Because you’re ugly and she’s pretty. Now shut up and let me talk.” The intimidating biker gave me his full attention. “Just because I like your name doesn’t mean I appreciate you being here. Tell me the truth, why are you standing in front of me using a dead man’s name as if you knew him?”

  The fast lie tumbled out of my mouth. “Because I was his girlfriend.”

  Spike broke into a loud laugh, throwing his head back and letting loose. Everybody else inside followed his lead until he stopped laughing. “Good try, Ruth Ann. No way a loser like him could land a girl like you.” He stalked me until he backed me up and the front door hit my behind. “Try again.”

  “It’s true we weren’t steady boyfriend and girlfriend. More like on and off again whenever he had the cash to take me out, which basically meant I hadn’t seen him in over a month. But then all of a sudden, he showed up flashing all kinds of money. I guess he had something going on with his grandmother Myrna that was paying off.” I mixed in what I’d learned with my lie and prayed it would be convincing.

  He raised his chin but kept his eyes blazing down at me. “I still don’t think there’s a chance you would ever be with him. But you’re right, he had been paying me back.”

  Thinking on my feet, I threw out a little bait. “The night he didn’t come back, he said he was supposed to meet you to give you the rest.”

  The devil hid in Spike’s knowing grin. “Now I know you ain’t telling the truth. I made exactly zero plans to meet with him, especially the night he got himself killed.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, pressing my luck. “He was pretty insistent he would see you.”

  “Ruth Ann, if that’s your real name, which I’m beginning to doubt, I spend all of my nights with my old lady. She’s that lovely girl over there shooting daggers with her eyes, aiming them at your heart.” He wiggled his fingers at the girl with pink stripes in her hair. “Why would I give up what she can do for me to spend any extra time with Croy? No, that idiot did something on his own that got him killed, and now I’m out what he owed me.”

  Disappointment killed my confidence. If Spike had an alibi, then he couldn’t be a viable candidate for murdering Croy and I was back to square one. And in deeper trouble with every second that ticked by.

  I dug in my back pocket and pulled out the folded bills I’d stuffed in there to pay for as many rounds of drinks as it would take to make my girlfriends forget they were mad at me for lying to them. Counting out the cash, I unfolded a hundred and fifty dollars. I’d prepared for my girls to consume many, many drinks.

  Holding the cash out, I offered it to Spike. “Here. This should cover what he owed.”

  The biker snatched it from me and counted it. “Not bad. But here’s where you get tangled up in your web of lies. I already visited Croy’s grieving grandmother, and she paid me double what he owed me. And since you didn’t know that already, then I think it’s time you should leave before anything bad happens to you.” He folded up the bills and stuffed them in his pocket. “Consider this your stupid tax for coming here.”

  He backed off and let me open the door. Following me outside, he scoffed at the sight of my three girlfriends standing side by side with their hands up in front of them about ready to blast the whole place apart. “What’s going on here? Y’all look like you think you’re some kind of kung fu masters ready to fight. If you want to rumble, I can definitely oblige.” Spike cracked his knuckles while stretching his neck.

  Before anybody else could come out and help him, I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks, but no thanks.” Willing a little of my fire power to ignite, I sent a burst of energy through my hand, giving him enough of a shock to knock him down. “Run, run, run!” I yelled to the others.

  We threw ourselves inside the car with squeals and shrieks. “Where are the keys?” I screamed at Cate.

  “I don’t know,” she bellowed back.

  The girl Spike claimed to be his girlfriend exited the bar to find him on the ground. She shouted to the others inside, and if we didn’t do something quick, we’d be toast.

  Laying my hand on the dashboard, I tried the same trick I did with Ol’ Bessie. On the first spark of my magic, the car started. Throwing it in drive, I was thrilled when the tires peeled on the driveway and kicked us forward and away from the Black Sheep Bar.

  Using my magic as fuel drained me, and I pulled into the well-lit parking lot of the nearest fast food joint. Cate instructed me to get out of the driver’s side, using the door this time. Without another word or even looking me in the eyes, she switched places, finding the keys just underneath the seat.

  On the drive home, nobody uttered a word. There’d be a lot of groveling in my future, and even though I’d completed my intended mission, it didn’t pay off the way I’d hoped. My rash decision almost caused us real problems and it didn’t give a clue as to who the killer really was nor help my uncle in any way.

  When I got home, I didn’t even message Luke. A person who was willing to put her friends at risk like I had deserved to be left alone to be swallowed up by her guilt.

  Chapter Sixteen

  S leep eluded me all night. My guilt seeped into my subconscious until every time I drifted off, my dreams turned into nightmares that included the faces I’d met at the bar. Jerking awake in terror, I never got good rest. A tiny bottle of lavender oil rested in the drawer of my bedside table, but I couldn’t bring myself to relieve my discomfort as a punishment for my actions. By the time the first birds of the day chirped their welcome to the dawn, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, contemplating how long I could hide from the rest of the world.

  “I can hear you beating yourself up from all the way over here,” Luke said, leaning against the frame of the door.

  I jolted upright and clutched the sheet. “How long have you been here?”

  “Just now. I would have come last night had you texted me you were back. Why didn’t you?” He nodded at my spell phone on the bedside table.

  Because I knew he’d be mad at me for taking such a huge risk. Because I couldn’t be comforted after what I’d put my friends through. The reasons were many, but I couldn’t take it if he scolded me this morning.

  My lower lip trembled. “Because,” I muttered, not able to give more than a child’s response. A lone tear escaped my eye, and I dashed it away with the back of my hand.

  Luke kicked off his shoes and came over to me, crawling into the bed and pulling me into him. His kindness broke me, and I crumpled under the pressure of my shame, bawling into his shirt.

  He rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head, murmuring reassurances that he wasn’t going anywhere while I gripped his shirt in both hands. Once I released my pent-up emotions, it took several minutes before the sobbing stopped and I breathed through the final hiccups.

  “I did something terrible last night,” I admitted into his chest.

  “I know. Dani texted me when she
got home. Like you should have,” my boyfriend admonished.

  Wiping my nose on the cotton of his t-shirt, I let him go and sat back. “She did?”

  He nodded. “She was worried that you would be too hard on yourself and asked me to come over to help you.”

  I glanced at the face of my spell phone. “She texted you last night? Why are you coming over just now?”

  Luke cupped my chin with his fingers. “Because I had to be sure I wouldn’t bite your head off the second I saw you. What were you thinking, Rue? How could you put yourself in danger like that without a second thought?”

  Flopping down on my bed, I buried my head into my pillow. “I know,” I muffled into it, a few tears leaking out again. “It was completely stupid.” I rolled over, ready to face his judgment. “But nobody’s been listening to my plan to use the crystal ball, and I had to do something.”

  “At the expense of your safety? Or even more important, the welfare of your friends?” His voice rose to an uncomfortable level, and he stopped himself mid-yell. “This is why I didn’t come over last night. Because I couldn’t guarantee I could control myself long enough to beg you never to do that again.”

  Hearing my very powerful and almost impervious boyfriend plead for anything shattered my heart, and more sobs burst out of me. “I’m sorry,” I repeated through the gasps.

  “You owe those apologies to Cate, Crystal, and your cousin. You hurt them with your recklessness.” He took my hand in his cold one and kissed the back of it. “For me, I’m going to need to hear you say something else.”

  With a big sniff to try to stop crying, I managed to meet his glare. “What?”

  “Promise me you won’t do something like that again. If something happened to you…” he trailed off.

  I opened my mouth to give him what he asked for, but considered the ramifications of setting myself up for failure. Yes, last night’s actions were not the smartest. But I couldn’t bind myself into an informal contract never to make a bad decision for myself. Not only would it be a challenge for any normal person, but because of my personality, it would be nigh to impossible for me to keep such a promise.

  “I can’t,” I whispered. When Luke tried to pull away, I clasped both hands over his and held him in place. “No, just listen. You want me to promise I’ll never do anything that will put me in danger. That’s an impossible thing for me to uphold. I mean, we both know me. Is it likely I’ll be able to uphold my end of the bargain for very long?”

  He closed his eyes and muttered something in a foreign language under his breath. Letting out a resigned sigh, he allowed himself to look at me again. “No. It’s not in your nature. You tend to run right into the flames instead of avoiding them like anyone else with sense in their head.”

  I pointed at myself. “Fire witch. And while I try to emulate my dad as much as possible, there’s still a lot of my mother in me, whether I like it or not.” Biting my bottom lip and hoping I could earn my boyfriend’s trust again, I crawled on top of his lap and cradled my head into his shoulder, waiting.

  After a few tense moments, his body relaxed, and he wrapped his arms around me. “Ah, cara . You might be the true death of me. And that’s saying something considering my nature.”

  We held onto each other in companionable silence, and my eyes fluttered with sleepy intent. I yawned more than once and nuzzled in closer. “I can promise you one thing,” I murmured close to his ear. “Next time, I’ll at least give you a heads up first.”

  Luke’s chest rose and fell with another long exhale. “I’d rather there wasn’t a next time, but I guess I better accept your proposal. That way, I can be there to protect you.”

  I drifted in and out of awareness. “Don’t need to be rescued,” I insisted, giving into the comfort of sleep. “And that wasn’t a proposal. Those are supposed to be made when you’re down on one knee.”

  It could have been the beginnings of a dream, but I swore I heard him say, “Someday.”

  * * *

  Luke’s disappointment in me paled in comparison to the irate rapid fire of rage I faced at the big house. Uncle Jo, Aunt Delia, and my ghostly great-grandmother all took their turn yelling at me. My father didn’t utter a word, which scared me more than anything. He sat in the corner in silent contempt, refusing to look at me. I took every ounce of their anger since I deserved it all.

  Dani rescued me after I endured what felt like an eternity of regret. “Okay, that’s enough. I think Rue understands what she did wrong. The rest of us are okay.”

  “But you might not have been,” Aunt Delia complained. “Of all the trouble you’ve gotten yourself into, child, this might be the worst. And the sad thing is, you haven’t even told us why you did it.”

  I cleared my throat and spoke in an even tone. “I saw the word Blacksheep written down in Officer Whittle’s pad. I knew it had something to do with the red mohawk dude that Dad and I found out about. After seeing the deputy yesterday, I don’t know, I just needed to do something. Anything.”

  Uncle Jo snorted. “Sounds a lot like another woman who used to be a part of this family. Your mother liked to do things without thinking about them, too. And look where she is today. Oh wait, she’s not here.”

  Dad jumped to my defense. “That’s enough of that. She might have made a bad decision last night, but don’t go comparing her to Reva. At least not like that.” He shifted in his seat. “Did you at least get anything useful out of Mr. Red Mohawk?”

  Grateful for his interest in the outcome of my failure, I nodded. “Spike, that’s the guy with the mohawk, admitted Croy had suddenly been able to pay back his loans before he died. When I tried to trick him into admitting he was with Myrna’s grandson the night of the murder, he actually came up with a possible alibi. Whether or not I believe him, I’m pretty sure he could find a lot of people to back up his claim.”

  “All of that trouble for very little payoff,” Uncle Jo accused.

  “Now wait,” Aunt Delia stopped him. “Your niece admitted she was there to try and help you out. It might not have been the smartest decision, but her heart was in the right place.” She got up from the couch and walked over to me. “Next time you get a fool idea like that, you come see me. I’ll call on my Hoodoo root magic traditions and sew you up a good mojo bag for protection. Come on, Dani Jo. We gotta get back to the cafe.”

  The rest of us stood up when they left, and I glanced at the clock on the wall. My stomach rumbled so close to lunch, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask for some leftovers. “I’ll head back to my place.” Nobody answered me, so I took it as a sign of dismissal and trudged toward the front door.

  My hand gripped the handle to leave, and my father called out my name. “I know you’ve been taking it from all sides. And I also know you think you deserve every bit of anger you’re getting.”

  I drew in a shaky breath. “I do.”

  He closed the distance between us and pulled me into a warm hug. “You made us worried, and far too late for me to be able to help you if you needed it. I don’t like being made to feel helpless when it comes to those I love.”

  More tears flowed, and I clung to my father. He let me cry it out and ruin his shirt as well with my sniffles. “I’ll try to do better next time.”

  “That’s all I can ask of you.” He gave me one last hard squeeze and released me. “And don’t you give any never mind to your uncle’s dispersions against your mother. She had a lot of good qualities.”

  The more I got compared to the woman who gave birth to me, the more I decided to do my best not to screw up again. I didn’t want to be lumped in with Reva Jewell, who left us long ago, even if she still had Dad’s loyalties after all that time. In no way did I ever want to earn a one-to-one parallel to her.

  “Why don’t you eat some lunch here before you go,” Dad suggested. “I promise your uncle and I won’t yell at you anymore.”

  “And Granny Jo?” I asked with too much hope.

  He held up his hands in surrend
er. “There’s no stopping her whenever she’s got an itch she’s gotta scratch.” My father winked. “See, our family is living proof how biology works.”

  A knock on the door stopped us from leaving the foyer. After Dad and I both confirmed we weren’t expecting anybody, he took down the wards and answered it. The tall outline of Ebonee Johnson stood in the doorway.

  “If you’d stop ignoring my calls, I wouldn’t have to show up in person,” she exclaimed in her snooty tone. “As it is, I need to talk to you right now.”

  My father blocked her entrance. “It’s not a good time right now. I can make an appointment for later if you want.”

  Ebonee put a hand on my father’s shoulder and moved him out of the way. Without a second thought, she barged into our home. “No, it has to be now.”

  “If you want access to the crystal ball, it’ll take time for us to arrange that,” Dad countered.

  Ebonee turned on him. “You owe me that opportunity, but that’s not why I’m here. I’ve been hearing about what’s been going on, and there’s a lot we need to discuss.”

  “Like what?” I pressed, earning a glare from the regional coven leader.

  She closed the distance between us. “Like using magic out in the open in front of mortals. Like word getting around the magical community at large that you’re hiding a crystal ball. Like going out of your way to create a spectacle at a biker bar when you’ve been asked not to do anything to garner attention.”

  I swallowed hard. How in the world had she heard what had happened just the night before?

  “And more importantly, how someone in your family could leave a human like Myrna Miller to suffer from the effects of magic without taking care of her.”

  I grabbed Ebonee’s arm, ignoring her indignant grunt. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with Myrna?”

  She couldn’t help the sly grin that spread on her face. “Let me in, and I’ll tell you.”

  Chapter Seventeen